Social Services & Well-being Bill: Health & Social Care Committee consultation response

Colleagues,

The link below is a draft paper which addresses some key concerns with the Social Services & Well-being Bill. The intention is to submit the final draft of the paper in response to the Health & Social Care Committee consultation on the Bill, the deadline for which is 15 March (but please see note below re: deadline for final responses/signatures to this paper).

The paper doesn’t attempt to address all of the issues with the Bill…that would take a lot more work and result in a much longer paper. Instead, it focuses on some of the key issues and starts from the question, “Does the Bill, as introduced, achieve the WG’s goal of transforming social services?” The last point on the National Outcomes Framework is critical in this regard.

I’m aware that other collaborative submissions are being drafted so this paper is intended for consideration within the following networks:

–        Wales Alliance for Citizen Directed Support

–        Direct Payment Support Schemes Network

–        Wales Disability Reference Group

It’s likely that the paper will also be circulated to the Social Services Citizen Panels, and that it will be brought to the attention of the Cross Party Group on Disability.

There are some gaps in the Direct Payment section as in the next few days I hope to have sight of a research paper on co-operative models of providing social support, and will also be supporting the DPSSN to develop a policy statement on CDS and DP on 8 March, which it might be possible to incorporate.

I’ll circulate a revised draft in due course. In the meantime, you are invited to review the paper and consider whether your organisation/group can sign up to it on the basis that “we can agree not to disagree with the main points outlined in the paper”.

A radical overhaul of the paper will not be possible in the time available, but it may be possible to tweak it a bit so please let me have any comments as soon as possible and I’ll try to incorporate them.

I will have to submit the paper to the Committee on 13 March so the final deadline for responses and signatures is close of business on 11 March.

Link to the PDF Document:         v5 DRAFT HSCC paperMarch2013

Link to the Word Document:      v5 DRAFT HSCC paperMarch2013

Paul Swann

Policy Officer (Independent Living)

Disability Wales / Anabledd Cymru